Automatic block-signal system.



PATBNTED APR. 3, 1906.

A. L. BOWBR. AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 31, 1903 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ABRAM L. BOWER, OF BOYERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEM. a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1.906.

Application filed January 31, 1903. Serial No. 141,355.

' may be desired.

The drawing forming a part of this specification illustrates apparatus embodying the principles of my invention.

In the drawing, A designates the trolley.-

wireof an electric railway, and B is the main feeder, which has branches 6 5 leading to the signal apparatus.

A source of electric energy 40 is connected by wire 41 to the feeder and by wire 42 to the rails or ground connection.

E represents the rails of a section of track, including two turnouts.

C 0 represent insulated sections of the trolley-wire located in the vicinity of the turnouts. This insulated section may be at either end of the turnout, or there may be two insulated sections in each turnout, one above the siding and one above the main track. i

L L are track-relays connected by wire 1 to feeder B and by wire 2 to the insulated section 0 of the feed-wire A.

3 represents the trolley-wheel; 4, the support; 5, a Wireconnecting the trolley-wheel electrically with contact 6 of the controller F of the car 7, the bar of metal which is adapted to connect or disconnect at will contact 6 with another contact 8, from which a wire 9 leads to the motors or a resistance 10 on the car. Wire 11 leads from the resistance to the wheel 13 of the car. a

A commutator M, com osed of an even number of segments, (preferably twelve,) is fastened. to a ratchet-wheel f, the ratchetwheel bein adapted to be turned by a pawl it, operated by an armatureelever N, which lever in turn is operated by relay L. Half of the segments are connected electrically with the axis of the wheel against which the brush K rests. This brush is connected to the earth conductor by wire 21. The alternate segments are connected by wires 15 to a tator. Brush J rests upon this ring, connecting it with the feeder B by wire'14 and branch I). Segments O are connected to the earth and segments V with the feeder B.

' The movements of the armature-lever N are limited by stops -H and H, andit is drawn away from relay L by spring 8 when that relay is not energized.

Any suitable device may be used to 6perate the ratchet-wheel manually. A chain attached to lever N may be used, or the rod Q may be used. This rod is supported by the parts X X, and its movement is limited by a nut Z between the supports. The end of the rod rests against lever N when that le-, ver is drawn against stop H, and the nut and supports permit the movement of the rod just sufiicient to move the lever as far as top. H, which movement will turn the ratchetwheel one point. In the drawing one point corresponds to one-twelfth of a revolution.

A single line-wire 17 runs through each section, connecting with a light w at one end of the section and with another light 10 at the other end of the section. Wire 16 connects light to to brush P, resting upon the periphcry of the commutator, and wires 18, 19, and 20at the other end of the section connect lightww to brush S at that end of the section. Brushes P and S rest upon alternate segments of the commutator. As shown on the left of the drawing, brush- P connects with the earth via segment 0, brush K, and wire 21, and brush S. connects with the feeder B, segment V, wire 15, ring .T, brush J, wire 14, and branch b.

To indicate whether the device has operated'or not, two circuits are provided, as follows: from branch I) of [the feeder through wire 27, light R, wire 26, llght R, wires 29 and 20, brush S, and the commutator and earth connections. The other circuit includes the rails, wire 28, light G, wire 25, light G, wire 24:,Wl16 20, brush S, the commutator, and the ring T, insulated from the rest of the commufeed connections. Lights R R are red lights 1 and lights G G are green ones, A light R and a light G are placed at each end of the turnouts. It is preferable to use se arate brushes as the terminals of these circuits; but for the purpose of avoiding crowding brush S is shown as the terminal of. the advance circuit and also of the two indication-circuits. The circuits including the red and green lights are local branch circuits at the end ofeach single track section or block. Lights 11) and w inare seen and-also the safety-signal w.

lows: from feeder.

- the left) through wire brush K, and wire21 to the rails.

brush P, wire 16, light stop H, and pawl n rests in note 'ment 0 and brush S upon segment circuits are as follows 1. from branch I), wire 27,

wires 29 and 20, brushS, segment V The operation of the device is as follows:

Let it be assumed first that both commutators occupy positions such-as shown by the commutator on the right. The circuit to the red lights is as follows: from branch?) of the feeder B through wire 27, light R, wire 26, lllghtR, wire 20, brush S,-segment 0, brush wire 21 to the rails; The circuit through the green lights is as follows: from the rails through wire" 28, light G, wire 25, light G, wires 24, 19, and 20, brush S, segment 0, I Thecircuit to the red lights is supplied with current and the red lights burn, but the green ones do not. I The main signal-circuit is as follows: from branch I) of feeder B (on the. left) to Wire 14, brush J, ring T, wire 15, segment V, w,wire 17, lightAv, wires 18, 19, and 20, brushS, segment 0, brush' K, and wire 21 to the rails. The si nal-circuit is supplied with current, and lights w and Wet the ends of the section displav safety-signals. Magnet L is not energize and armature-lever N rests against the backh 32- When of rails totherails proper.

same results. nected to the circuits of the light and brushes a car approaches from the left, the red lights hen the trolley-Wheel reaches the insulated sectionO of feed-wire A, the current flows as fol- B through wire 1, relay L, wire 2, conductor C, wheel 3, pole 4', wire 5,

10, wire 11 andwheel 13 to the rails.- Relay L is energized and draws thep'awl nand lever N forward against stop H (see apparatus on the left) and turns the ratchet-wheel and commutator one notch, or one-twelfth of a revolution where a twelve-segment commutator is used. Brush P now rests u on seg V. The

feeder B through 26, light R, ,wire 15, ring T, brush J, and wire 14 to'branch'b of the feeder B. No curre'ntflows through this circuit. A current flows through the circuit of the green light as follows: from feeder B through branch I), wire 14, brushJ, ring T, wire 15, segment V, brush S, wires 20 and 24, light G, wire 25 light G, and wire 28 tothe rails- The green lightsburn. The safetysignal circuit is as follows: from therails (on 21, brush K, segment 0, brush P, wire 16, lightw, wire 17, light w, wires 18 and 1 9and 20, brush S, segment O, I

and wire 21 to the rails. N 0 ourlight R, wire rent flows, and a car at the other end of the section cannot receive a safety-signal. ,When the trolley-wheel leaves the insulated section without departing by Letters Patent, is,

switch at each station arranged to connect the said mam conductor and C ofthe feed wire, relay L is denergized and spring 8 pulls the armaturelever N and pawl n back and pawl a slides from notch 32 to notch As the car leaves the turnoutit is observed that a green light G burns, showing that the device has operated. When the car reaches the turnout on the right, the same changes take place in the indication-circuits and in the'commutator and connections. The signal-circuit then is as follows from feeder B to branch 1), wire 14, brush J, ring T, wire 15, segment V, brush S, wires 20, 19, and 18, light w, wire 17, light we, wire 16, brush P, segmentO, brush K, and wire 21 to the rails. The current flows and safety-signal light w at the other end of the section again burns and displays a safety-signal.

Instead of connecting relay L in the circuit from an insulated section of the -ieed-. wire tothe main feederB that relay may be connected in a circuit from an insulated pair The results will be the same.

The commutator connections may be altered in various ways and still produce the Brushes J and K may be conand S may be connected to the feeder and to, the rails, respectively, without altering the mode of operating or the results.

Various other modifications may be made from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure 1. In a signalin system for electric railways, a main signal-conductor extending between stations located at intervals along the railway, si' als at said stations connected in circuit wit said main conductor,-feed-wire and return terminals at each at each station arranged to connect the said main signal conductor alternately to said feed-wire and ductor having an insulated section at eac station, an electromagnet at each station for operating coils connected in circuit to the insulated section means operated by said said switch, and means carried by an e of the trolley-wire, magnetto o erate ectric lated section to the return, described. v

'2. In a signalin system for electric railways, a main signa 'conductor extending between stations located at intervals along the railway, circuit wit said main conductor, and return terminals at each station, local branch circuits at each station connected respectively to said feed-wire and"return, a

substantially as local branch signabcircuits lternately to said feed-wire station,'a switch to said return, a trolley-conh II car to complete the circuit from said insusi nals at said stations connected n 1 feed-wire 7 the switch-thereat and having its from the feed-wire nec'ted in circuit from sulated section of the and to said return, a tro1ley-conductor having an insulated section at each station, an electromagnet at each station for operating the switch thereat and having its coils conthe feed-wire to the introlley-wire, means opnet to operate said switch and return terminaisat each station, a-rotary switch having a plurality of insulated segments, alternate segments connected to said feed-wire and the remaining segments connected to said return, a pair of brushes arranged to be brought into engagement with erated by saidma successive segments and so spaced apart that by an electric car to corn I and means carrie the two will not at the same time engage segplete the circuit from said insulated section ments of the same set, one of said brushes beto the return, substantially as described. ing connected alone t; one end of a main signal-conductor, and the other connected to a railway, signals at said stations connected in 'nected in circuit from the feed-wire to the inways, a main signa -conductor extending be tween stations located at intervals along the railway, si nals at said station connected in circuit with said main conductor, feed-wire and return terminals at each station, local branch circuits at each station connected respectively to said feed-wire and return, a rotary switch at each station arranged to connect the said main conductor and local branch signal-circuits alternately to said feed-wire and to said return, a trolley-conductor having an insulated section at each station, an electromagnet at each station for operating the switch thereat and having its coils con-Q terminal of a main signal-conductor and branches from the feed-wire and return, au

3. In a signalin system for electric rail- 1' l tomatic means operated electrically and coninipart step-by-step motion to said commutator, and signals connected in said branch circuits, substantially as described.

5. In a railway signal s stem, the combination of relay L, lever pawl m, ratchet wheel f, and commutator M, alternate-segments being connected respectively to the two poles of a source ,of electric energy, brushes P and tor-segments, a signal-circuit containing signals w and w, said signal-circuit consisting of a line-wire 17, terminating in brush P at one end of the blcckand in brush S at the other end of the block, substantially as described. Signed at Boyertown, in the county of I Berks and State of Pennsylvania,this 30th sulated section of the trolley-wire, means operated by said magnet to operate said switch means carried by an electric car to complete the circuit from said insulated section to the return, and means to operate said switch manually, substantially as described.

4. In a signaling system for electric railways, a main signal-conductor extending between stations located at intervals along the day of January, 1903. V

ABRAM L. BOWER.

Witnesses:

W. W; WHEN,

circuitawit said main conductor, feed-wire CHAS. E. MAYER.

trolled by an electric circuit through a car to S in relation to the commuta- 

